44 mag Redhawk accuracy & cleaning

[sluggo]

How many jacketed bullets do you put down the tube before accuracy starts to suffer? Same question for cast bullets.

 

[Dale53]

I don't use jacketed bullets, ever. I have taken all of my deer with my own cast bullets.

I normally shoot just under 100 shots at each outing at the range. I wipe off my revolvers but do not clean every time I shoot them. I often go 300-500 shots before cleaning. I see NO fall off in accuracy - they just get so grungy that I KNOW it is time to clean.

I get NO leading and no build up in the barrel. The cylinder does get some carbon build up but never to the point that I have accuracy issues.

Dale53

 

[Papa]

Not sure if applies to the Redhawk, but when I was shooting IDPA barrel replacement was 30,000 rounds average for jacketed bullets and 80,000 was average for cast, so the smiths told me.

 

[Rob72]

How many jacketed bullets do you put down the tube before accuracy starts to suffer? Same question for cast bullets.

Different causes. Barrel-wear, from jacketed rounds, actually wears the rifling at a faster rate(than cast); leading, from build-up of cast bullets may be a PITA, but is removable.

At 30K from a 44mag, I suspect you'll have more things wearing out than the barrel, but that would be a reasonable count. At that point, a bore-slug will be the most accurate measure, unless you see key-holing. :lol:

 

[sluggo]

This was more of a how many rounds do you fire between cleanings. With my rifles I usually figure about 15 rounds and it's time to clean because accuracy is declining. That's what I'm wondering.

 

[maxpress]

i have never noticed a decline in accuracy while shooting a rh, sbh or vaquero with cast bullets during a session. with a rifle yes and this ussually has to do with barrel heat rather than fouling.

it also has to do with the fact that rifles are M.O.A. at 100yrds and revolvers are Minute Of Milkjug at 100yrds. i just dont think anyone would notice a 1/4" biger group with a handgun

 

[Rob72]

This was more of a how many rounds do you fire between cleanings. With my rifles I usually figure about 15 rounds and it's time to clean because accuracy is declining. That's what I'm wondering.

Gotcha. You should not see any accuracy changes with jacketed rounds at all. Cast would depend on quantity and hardness. I would suspect you would see some variance after a box or so with un-alloyed slugs, but with mass produced or well made home-pours I would expect more change due to a sore hand.

 

[meanc]

Only time I really clean my Redhawk is after shooting a box of cast bullets or after hunting season.

When just shooting JSP or JHP, w/ my reloads, I rarely clean the barrel. I do run a dry patch down the barrel about every 2 cylinders. That's just to clean out the unburnt powder.

I only shoot about 200rds a year through it, though. I'm confident it would maintain accuracy well past that without a thorough cleaning.